M A I N   N E W S

Pak fire destroys files on ultras

Islamabad, January 16
Amid reports that sensitive documents regarding banned terrorist outfits were destroyed, Pakistan has ordered a probe into the fire that engulfed the building housing several ministries.

The police said an investigation had been ordered to ascertain the cause of the fire which was initially reported to have been caused by a short circuit. Officials are, however, not ruling out sabotage.

The fire that raged for more than four hours last night destroyed confidential files, including those maintained by the Interior Ministry on the hardcore religious parties and jehadi outfits recently banned by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, reports said.

Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider was personally supervising fire-fighting efforts.

Offices of 15 ministries were destroyed, including the Interior Ministry functioning from the 16th floor, from where the fire began.

It said besides the records of the jehadi outfits, the records of arms licences issued to thousands of individuals were also destroyed in the fire, The Nation daily reported quoting officials.

Official reports, meanwhile, said the government had also set up a technical committee to assess the losses as well as the structural soundness of the building. PTI

Govt denies reports

Islamabad, January 16
The Pakistan Government today said no confidential records relating to the banned militant outfits were lost in the fire at the state-owned building housing several ministries, including the Interior Ministry.

Reacting to reports that large number of files relating to the five banned outfits were lost in the fire, a government spokesman said only some old records of the Interior Ministry had been lost. PTI

1957 ultras held in Pak: Musharraf

Islamabad, January 16
Shortly before his meeting with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf tonight said 1957 militants of banned Islamist outfits had been arrested and their 615 offices sealed since the authorities launched a crackdown on them.

The figure by General Musharraf at a Cabinet meeting for the first time after he clamped the ban on the extremists outfits including Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed and ordered the crackdown on Saturday.

General Musharraf briefed his ministers about his plans to eradicate terrorism and extremism from Pakistan and claimed total support for his decisions from people in general, and Islamic clerics in particular, official media reported.

The Cabinet meeting was held a few hours before he was scheduled to hold talks with Mr Powell and brief him about the on going crackdown on the militants.

General Musharraf said the steps taken by the government to eradicate extremism and terrorism would help Pakistan to project itself as a moderate and a progressive Islamic state.

He also told the Cabinet that Pakistan would move strongly on the diplomatic front on the issue of Kashmir and make every effort to focus the attention of international community and the media on the “plight” of the Kashmiri people. PTI